Lawsuit claims hundreds of Indiana ballots were rejected without notifying voters

A new lawsuit has said hundreds of ballots in Indiana were rejected, possibly without the voters’ knowledge, in the 2018 election. 

The suit argued that a state election law is unconstitutional, the Indianapolis Star reported Thursday. The law allows election authorities to throw out absentee ballots if the signatures on the ballots’ envelope matches the voters’ signatures the county has on file. 

Common Cause Indiana and four voters in the state contend in the lawsuit that “several hundred and possibly more than a thousand mail-in absentee ballots” were rejected in 2018. {mosads}

They said in court that because the law does not require voters to be made aware of the rejections, they cannot contest the decision. 

Three of the voters named in the suit are elderly, the newspaper reported, and one, Mary J. Frederick, 69. has Parkinson’s disease.

“Because of her Parkinson’s, her signature becomes increasingly illegible as the day goes on, although her signature has never been questioned by her bank or anyone else,” the suit said. 

The state’s top election official declined the Indianapolis Star’s request for comment, saying it does not comment on pending litigation. 

Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn told the paper in a statement that “this system is deeply flawed and we trust the court will side with the voters who were wrongly and unknowingly disenfranchised and end this unconstitutional and undemocratic system once and for all.”